Human Rights Council Adopts Resolution on Human Rights Violations in Russian-Occupied Abkhazia and South Ossetia
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
At the Fifty-Seventh Session of the Human Rights Council, held from September 9 to October 11, 2024, a draft resolution addressing the cooperation with Georgia was introduced under Agenda Item 10. The resolution, supported by numerous nations, calls attention to the ongoing human rights violations in the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which remain under Russian control following the 2008 war. The resolution reaffirms Georgia's sovereignty, condemns Russia's illegal actions in these territories, and highlights the urgent need for international monitoring and humanitarian assistance to protect the rights of the affected Georgian population.
The draft resolution emphasizes the principles of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and various international human rights instruments, including the European Convention on Human Rights. It underscores a number of significant judgments from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which have established the Russian Federation's responsibility for widespread human rights violations in Georgia, particularly following the Russo-Georgian war of August 2008.
The resolution condemns the illegal military presence of the Russian Federation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, as well as attempts to legitimize this occupation through the organization of unlawful elections, and the signing of so-called treaties aimed at integrating these regions further into Russian control. It also highlights the seizure of Georgian lands, such as the transfer of the Sokhumi Airport and the Bichvinta Resort, both in Abkhazia, to the Russian Federation.
Further, the resolution condemns the continuous process of borderization, where barbed wire fences and other artificial barriers along the administrative boundary lines are extended. This practice has severely impacted the socioeconomic conditions of the local Georgian population by restricting freedom of movement, access to property, and the ability to farm, worship, or bury their dead. The human cost has been devastating, with several documented medical evacuations being delayed or denied, resulting in preventable deaths.
Ethnic discrimination, particularly against Georgians, remains rampant in these regions. The resolution draws attention to torture, inhuman treatment, arbitrary detentions, kidnappings, and systematic obstruction of humanitarian access. Furthermore, the ongoing destruction of Georgian cultural heritage sites in Abkhazia and South Ossetia is seen as part of an attempt to erase Georgian identity in these regions.
The resolution underscores the urgent need for access to the occupied regions by international human rights monitors and United Nations personnel. Despite ongoing efforts by the international community, access has been repeatedly denied, preventing adequate monitoring of the human rights situation on the ground. The draft resolution urges the Russian Federation to cease its obstruction of humanitarian and human rights operations.
Recognizing the role of Geneva International Discussions and Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRMs) in Gali and Ergneti as essential tools for conflict resolution, the resolution stresses the need for their immediate and unconditional resumption to facilitate dialogue on security and humanitarian issues.
The resolution echoes prior calls for accountability and justice for victims of war crimes, particularly those highlighted by the International Criminal Court's 2022 investigation into the Russo-Georgian war, which led to arrest warrants for individuals involved in war crimes against ethnic Georgians. It highlights continued impunity, with no meaningful efforts made by Russian or local authorities to hold perpetrators accountable for the killings of Georgians, such as the deaths of Tamaz Ginturi and Temur Karbaia, killed by Russian-backed forces.
The resolution recognizes the critical role of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, who has continuously provided technical assistance through its Tbilisi office, issuing regular reports on the deteriorating situation in Georgia. The draft resolution calls for further reports and updates on the implementation of the provisions outlined.
